Starlight - The Third Book in the Starchild Series

Chapter 5

***Elska's POV***

I'm panicking. I'm tugging at my restraints so hard that I'm rubbing my wrists bloody raw. But it won't work. I feel Vader coming closer. I know that he's going to put me to sleep again. And this time, much deeper than before. I was seriously freaking out. There was blood trickling down my wrists where I was tugging. My breaths were coming light but fast. I was lightheaded and scared. So this is what true fear felt like.

I wasn't afraid of the Dark Side. That I would never be afraid of. I was afraid of what Vader was going to do to me. I caught a flash of his thoughts, and I knew what he was going to do to me. He was going to put me in a Deep Force Coma. Those kinds of Force comas were so deep, only a Master of the Force could wake someone up from it. And even that took major concentration. Luke wasn't a Jedi Master, and the one he spoke of - I wasn't sure if he/she was even alive. I was doomed. No way would Luke get here in time. I could already hear Vader's breathing - faint but there. And it was getting closer by the second. I tugged at my cuffs one final time, then lay back, limp and breathing hard. There was no escape. No way out. I was doomed.

Eventually, I heard the door slide open. Vader stepped into the room. I mentally recoiled at the amount of darkness he was giving off.

"Well well. Quite impressive that you managed to wake up, Caranikel. Very impressive indeed." He shakes his head. "All that talent. Wasted on the Light. If you had embraced the Dark Side, you would have reached your true potential. But it's too late." He reached out and touches my forehead. I feel him getting ready to expel major Force energy into my conscious. I pull away, sending a defiant surge into the Force.

"We can do this the easy way, or the hard way." Vader warns me. I stay silent, still sending defiant surges of light through the Force. 

"Fine then. The hard way it is." Vader says. He raises his hand. Suddenly, I feel my muscles freeze. And no matter how much I will myself to move whatever I can, I can't move. Vader, still holding up his hand, comes closer until he's right next the metal platform I'm strapped down to. Leaning over me, he touches my forehead with his left hand, his right being used to keep me immobilized.

Suddenly, I feel a great surge of Force power from the Dark Side, descending on me with howling fury. I cry out as my mental self is battered back and forth by the raging winds of the Dark. Black spots appear in my vision, and drowsiness overtakes me. I fight against it. Try to resist it. But Vader is too powerful. Finally, darkness envelopes me. And I fall into a deep, deep, sleep.

***Vader's POV***

I watch the girl squirm under my touch. When I released the Dark Side on her, I had freed her from immobilization. Now I watched as she writhed in her bonds as the Dark Side fought to take her over. Finally, she cries out, and then goes limp. Her breathing slows as she settles into a dreamless trance.  I feel her Force - Signature slowly fade, being replaced by darkness. A hollow void. I smile under my mask. My Master will be pleased, no doubt. But I can't dwell on this now. I have other things to tend to. I leave her cell, the door hissing shut behind me. And I can feel my son getting closer.

***Luke's POV***

The meeting was over. I walk out the door, with mixed feelings. Bothan spies had found that the Empire was building another Death Star, and they escaped with information. One piece of information was records of a female prisoner on the Death Star.

With the name of Elska Caranikel.

But the information they had was worrying. The report had said that she was currently comatose, and she was scheduled to be executed. When? Unknown. But the word "executed" was enough to send me frantically reeling. If she died, I don't even know what I would do.

The Rebellion all recognized how important Elska was, because she knew all the secrets her father had told her, along with the location of our base. But for me, it was a more personal reason. I loved her. How was I supposed to just sit idly by while the Empire had her? And the fact she was comatose worried me. The Empire could hurt her all they wanted. And she wouldn't be able to defend herself.

In fact, during the meeting, I felt her Force - Signature fade out entirely. But not dead - thank goodness. Just deeply asleep. That had to be Vader's work.

No matter. I needed to get ready. The mission that I was about to undertake was going to be hard - One group would infiltrate the Death Star and rescue Elska. The other group would go down to the forest moon and destroy the shield generator. Then, once the Death Star team was out of the superstructure, pilots would destroy the Death Star. And save the galaxy again.

Unfortunately, I wasn't assigned to lead the Death Star strike force team. Han was. Oh well. Han had grown fonder of her since their first encounter. Not love interest - just friends. She was in safe hands.

I go over to the window and stare out at the glimmering stars. Somewhere out there was Elska. And I was determined to find her. " Don't worry, my starlight," I say, creating a new nickname for her, "I'm coming."

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CMW